We already had one Civil War. We don’t need another.
On January 10, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving missed a game, and the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Nets. Neither Irving nor his publicist gave a reason. Nets’ head coach, Steve Nash, commented that communication between Irving and the organization would be kept private, but added, “I’m sure you’ll hear from him at some point.”
There’s speculation that Irving’s absence is connected to the assault on the U.S. Capitol and that his absence is a personal protest. If true, I believe Irving is responding appropriately.
What happened on January 6 is a punch in the face for democracy. Violence against people and property has no place in our society. There are non-violent ways to get your message across. Non-violent protests are an American tradition, too. A century ago, it was used to help secure women the right to vote nationally, and a half-century ago, it was the pathway to expand the rights of African Americans.
If there’s anything positive from what happened last week, it’s this: it’s a wake-up call to America. We already had one Civil War, and we don’t need another.
Let’s come out of last week stronger than ever. I truly believe that will happen. I can feel it.
